


Candy Kingdom

by ahwait_no_yes, Dream Anon (ahwait_no_yes)



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Princes & Princesses, Shuichi and Junko are royalty, when needs be of course
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27233566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahwait_no_yes/pseuds/ahwait_no_yes, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahwait_no_yes/pseuds/Dream%20Anon
Summary: 🍬🍭Saihara Shuichi, prince of the kingdom, soon to be king of another.Enoshima Junko, heir to the throne.But hey, what's that compared to the whole world of mysteries the purple-haired stranger standing before him held?
Relationships: Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hii i'm glad you clicked! This au is actually written on tumblr, by dream anon who sends me (ahwait-no-yes) asks! I do help with ideas at times, but all the writing credit goes to them (+ they're allowing me to post this here on AO3).
> 
> Now, please enjoy the story!

Shuichi told everyone he was just going on a walk to calm down. He was upset about an argument that had broke out, and had wanted to just leave the situation for a little while.

After a few minutes of walking, he eventually came to the edge of a forest. He knew he shouldn’t go in. He told his parents that he’d be back in ten minutes. Though, right now he wanted nothing more then to relax and try not to overthink the situation.

* * *

“So,” His mom suddenly spoke up, looking at the two expectantly. “We’ve been meaning to discuss something with you two.” She said in a monotone voice. Junko looked up, seemingly uninterested. Shuichi did the same, but with a much more nervous expression.

“What did you want to talk about?..” He asked hesitantly, avoiding eye contact. He knew his parents absolutely hated it when he did that, but he couldn’t help it.

His parents glanced at each other before his father spoke up this time. “As we know, your older sister, Junko, is going to become queen soon.” He watched a small grin come to her face.

“And? Why’re we talking about what’s set in stone?” She asked, playing with her food. His mother politely ignored her. “What we were going to talk about is mostly centered around your brother, Shuichi.“ 

Saihara looked up at them and shrunk as far as he could into his chair. What could they possibly want to talk about? His parents looked at each other before his mother plastered on a smile. “Seeing as Junko is becoming a queen, you won’t be able to rule over any land, correct?” She asked, looking him dead in the eye.

“I-” he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “Yes, that is true..” Where was she going with this? “Well, seeing as we still want you to become a king, we have decided to arrange a marriage with the neighboring kingdom.”

Shuichi stared at them in shock for a few seconds before whispering, “What-?..” His mother quietly sighed before saying, “I’m sure you heard us the first time. Is there anything you’d like to say?”

Shuichi felt a surge of what he wish was confidence. In reality, it was just fear. What if they didn’t like him? What if they were rude? What if- 

“Soo, does that mean Shuichi’s finally gonna get a girlfriend?” Junko asked, twirling her hair. “Technically, they’re already engaged, seeing as we both agreed.”

_What._

“Y-you didn’t-”

“We didn’t tell you, seeing as it would be good for our kingdoms to unite.”

Now this made Shuichi upset. He felt like he had unwillingly signed his life away to someone he _didn’t even know_.

 _He decided now would be a good time to speak up_.

“So, what you’re telling me is that I’m going to marry a stranger I didn’t even know _existed_?” He said abruptly. His parents stared at him for a moment before his mother cleared her throat. “It was bound to happen eventually, we just chose the kingdom next to us.” Her stare hardened. “ _Is there a problem, Shuichi?_ ”

He wanted to back down, but decided not to. “Other then the fact I’m being forced to marry someone I don’t know, I suppose there isn’t.” He edged on. “Shuichi. Do _not_ be disrespectful to your mother.” His father warned, placing down his fork.

“I’m _not_. I’m just saying my opinion.”

“In a disrespectful manner.” Junko chided, smiling innocently.

“I still don’t get why I have to marry someone I’ve never met! Don’t you already have enough people to boss around?!” He shouted, gripping at the hem of his shirt.

“Do not raise your voice at me!” His mother shouted back. Junko was watching and eating some popcorn ( _where the hell did she get that?_ )

“I’m not _trying_ to, you’d just never listen otherwise,” He muttered, pulling at the ends of his hair. “ _What was that?_ ” His mother asked, glaring right at him. “Nothing.” He replied, feeling tears gather in his eyes.

_If I cry right now I might as well die on the spot._

“I’m gonna go on a walk. Is that fine?” He asked, his voice coming out sterner then planned. His mother sighed and looked away, “Yes, you can leave again,” she then muttered something along the lines of, “Seeing as you’re so upset with us when we just wanted to help.”

“That’s not what I-..” His voice trailed off. He just turned away and pulled at the hem of his shirt. They would do things like that when he was younger, and had started trying to avoid things like that happening. Usually by locking himself in his room for days on end, and only coming out at night.

Wasn’t the best option but he still did it.

He just muttered a quiet, “Okay,” and left.

* * *

Shuichi took a deep breath and looked around. He realized he must’ve spaced out while walking and got lost. He leaned against a tree and looked around, trying to see how far he managed to get.

Just how long has he been spaced out?

He felt panic settle in as he looked around again. There had to be something he recognized. He couldn’t have gone far. The trees are probably just covering things, so it just feels like he’s in the middle of a huge forest.

But that probably wasn’t true.

He sat down and took slow and deep breaths. It was best not to panic, Saihara was sure he’d be able to find his way back eventually.

Though he felt panicky again when he heard approaching footsteps.

Suddenly, a boy that looked around his age (or maybe younger? He was kind of short..) bounded up to him. “Hey! You seem kinda lost!” He announced, pointing at him while grinning.

“Uh- yeah, I guess I am-..” Shuichi muttered, where had the boy come from? He was sure he was alone a few seconds ago. He hadn’t heard any walking until now either.

“Weeeell! If you are I can totally help you!” He continued. “Ah, you can?-” Saihara asked, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. “Yep! All you need to do is be able to repay me!” He chirped, playing with his hair. “I see.. Is there anything I can do to help-?..

“Of courseeee! All you need to do is give me your life!” He beamed, lifting his index finger to his mouth a smirking slyly. “What-?! I can’t possibly-”

“Then again, I’m just lying!” He continued, his grin turning into a carefree smile. “But maybe that’s a lie!” He giggled, his face darkening.

“I-..” His voice trailed off. This boy was.. _something else_ , that was for sure. He wasn’t sure why he was lying so much, (one of those statements had to be a lie.) but then again, he might just be lying to mess with him. Even though Saihara had just met him, he seemed like the kind of person to do that.

“Is- there anything else I can do?..” He asked hesitantly, avoiding eye contact. “Hmm.. Keep me entertained while I show you the way out! If you fail, I kill you! If not, I’ll still kill you, but no torture!” He chirped innocently, fluttering his eyelashes as if he was trying to convince him.

“That doesn’t sound fair at all-!” Saihara muttered, pulling at the ends of his hair and covering his mouth with it. The purple haired boy groaned dramatically and yelled, “Fineee! If you entertain me, you live. Sound fair Mr. Emo?" 

"I would prefer not to die, but I have a feeling that it won’t be "fair” to you.“ He commented, quickly glancing at him to see what he looked like.

_… How does his hair defy gravity? How’s that even possible?_

"You can take a picture if you wanna keep staring Mr. Emo.” He stated, looking at his nails. “Ah-! I wasn’t trying to-!” He boy interrupted him again. “Since you were to busy staring at me, I said I agreed. So lets go, alright?” He grinned, lifting his finger to his mouth again.

“Can I at least know your name?” Saihara asked exasperatedly, finally making eye contact. The boy stared back, unblinking. Shuichi nervously shifted in place. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked that.

“My name’s Kokichi Ouma. What’s yours?”

A smile.

“Shuichi Saihara.”


	2. Chapter 2

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to follow a stranger that threatened to kill you.

Though, it wasn’t like Saihara had much of a choice.

“Soo! How did Saihara chan get lost, hm?” The strange boy, _Ouma_ asked. “Ah, um, just went on a walk and uh,” He mentally cursed at his awkwardness and sheepishly smiled. “Got lost.”

Kokichi just laughed. “You know,” He placed his hands behind his head. “You don’t look like the type to space out too much! But looks can be quite deceiving, huh?”

“Yeah, that is true,” He replied, a soft smile coming to his face. Ouma continued to go on about something Saihara wasn’t listening to. 

_Ouma is very unique. I’ve never met anyone remotely similar to him. He constantly contradicts himself, and blatantly lies through his teeth, and makes it seem like it was something to be proud of. He seems smart too. I wonder, if he’s able to tell such good lies, is he able to easily tell what’s a lie and isn’t? I’d assume so, it would make s-_

“Hellooo?! Saihara chan?! Are you having a stroke or something!?” Kokichi practically yelled, poking his cheek. Shuichi yelped and turned towards him, a light blush spreading across his face. “Sorry, sorry- I spaced out again-”

Kokichi pouted and tears started welling up in his eyes. “You mean Saihara chan wasn’t listening to me?!” He yelled, a few tears running down his face. “Ouma kun please don’t cry-! I didn’t mean to make you upset!” Saihara sputtered out, waving his hands nervously. _“Well you did!”_ He yelled back, covering his face and continuing to cry.

“Ouma kun please calm down!..” he muttered not knowing what to do. He never had to comfort anyone but himself. Then, the tears were gone as if they weren’t there in the first place. 

“Doesn’t matter anyways, it’s a lie!” He exclaimed, wearing a familiar grin. “Pretty impressive, huh?” He continued, lifting his finger up to his mouth, leaning towards Saihara. 

“Well, yeah, I guess-” he muttered, nervously laughing. Kokichi looked taken aback for a moment before grinning and skipping ahead.

It was then quiet for about a minute.

“Hey, Saihara chan, you know how the trees look like cotton candy?” Kokichi randomly pointed out, looking up at the trees. “Yeah, they do. Why’re you suddenly bringing that up?-” He asked, glancing at him.

After a few seconds, Kokichi muttered, “Do you think it tastes like cotton candy?” Shuichi just stared at him for a moment before replying, “Probably not, it is a tree after all.”

Kokichi narrowed his eyes.

_Oh god, is he actually gonna try it?_

He reached up and grabbed a piece of it, and put in it his mouth. He just stared in shock for a few seconds. That was until he started coughing. “Oh my _god_ Ouma kun- are you ok?-”

After a few seconds of coughing, Kokichi rasped out, “Ok, it doesn’t taste like cotton candy at all.” “Yeah, that makes sense-” He replied, still patting his back. Once his coughing fit was done, he wiped his mouth and grinned at him. “Well, that didn’t happen.”

Shuichi just laughed again.

* * *

After what felt like a few minutes, (but could’ve been an hour for all they know), they were out of the forest. Kokichi had started collecting rocks at some point, taking a liking to a smooth brown rock that he dubbed, “Rock of bean, bean of rock.”

“We finally got out..” Shuichi muttered, looking at the small town. “Yep! This is where I live!” Kokichi beamed, pointing and wearing a warm smile.

“Well we should probably get going, we don’t want you to space out and get lost again!” Kokichi exclaimed, giggling. “Hey-! I don’t do it that often!” Saihara protested, pouting and slightly puffing out his cheeks. Ouma just laughed and skipped away, muttering something about him looking like an angry cat.

_(Shuichi followed him as usual.)_

* * *

“Saihara-chan, hurry up! You’re suuuper slow!” Kokichi yelled over the noise, pulling Shuichi along. “Ouma-kun, you’re literally _dragging_ me. I can’t go faster without me getting in front of you, or if you speed up.” He muttered with an exasperated expression.

“Stop trying to pin the blame on me!” He chided in a scolding tone. Saihara just quietly sighed. Last time he sighed too loud Ouma kept chanting Sigh-hara. He didn’t think anything of it until he started shouting it, and causing others to look at them.

“Hey! You should try this!” Kokichi suddenly blurted out, letting go of him and showing him a small piece of candy. “Can you at least tell me what it is?” Saihara asked, picking it up. Ouma just groaned and replied, “Just try it!”

“Okay, Okay,” Shuichi muttered, and placed the hard candy into his mouth. He grimaced a bit when he was met with a strong sour taste, but soon it was replaced with a sweet one.

“Ooh. Is this a grape candy?” Saihara asked, a small smile coming to his face. Kokichi nodded and grinned. “Yep! It tastes good, right?” He asked. Shuichi nodded and smiled at him.

Shuichi stared at him for a moment before blurting out, “You look like a grape.”

Kokichi stared back before pressing a finger to his lips and grinning. “Says the one who looks like a blueberry.”

Saihara was quiet again, though it was only for a few seconds before he started laughing again. Kokichi joined in soon after.

_You know, maybe it was a good thing he got lost_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, dream writes everything, I draw everything~


	3. Chapter 3

Saihara realized two things while the sun was setting.

One, it was going to be night soon. Which meant that it was _probably_ not such a good idea to go back into the forest and try to find his way home. The second thing he realized was that since he was staying here for the night, he had nowhere to sleep.

_He ignored the fact that he got so distracted he didn’t notice the sun was getting lower. He also ignored that he was so distracted because of Ouma. He just lost track of time._

“Saihara-chan! You okay there? You look like you’re gonna puke!” He helpfully pointed out, grinning with his hands behind his head. Saihara nervously laughed, “Ah, I’m just wondering.. I don’t want to go back into the forest, seeing as I’ll probably get lost again. So that means I’ll be here for tonight. It’s just-”

“Juuust?” Ouma looked up at him with wide, curious eyes.

“Where would I sleep?..”

* * *

Huh. That was a problem. “Hmm, maybe Saihara-chan can just sleep outside on the dirt!” Kokichi suggested, still grinning. “I’d prefer not to-” He muttered back, fidgeting with his hair. 

He wouldn’t just let some stranger sleep in his house. No matter how pretty said stranger was. “If you have money you can probably stay at a hotel thingy or something,” he suggested.

Saihara bought his hand up to his chin, thinking over his options. Ouma felt an idea pop into his head and grinned, mimicking him. Shuichi opened his mouth to respond, but closed it when he saw Kokichi.

“Ouma-kun, what’re you doing?..” Saihara asked, putting his hand down. Kokichi did the same. “What’re you talking about Saihara-chan?” He replied, copying him and staring up at him intently.

Shuichi stayed quiet for a moment before sheepishly muttering, “Nevermind,” Kokichi just giggled mischievously while grinning up at him.

Saihara nervously cleared his throat, “So, I think I have enough to stay in a hotel for tonight. I really don’t want to try and walk home, especially when it’s night,” he muttered, playing with his hair.

Kokichi did the same before replying, “Yeah, I would haaaate for Saihara-chan to get hurt!” He blurted out, still grinning up at him. (Why was Saihara so tall? Or maybe Kokichi was just short. He liked to think it was the first option.)

“I can’t tell if that’s sarcasm or not-” He noted, laughing nervously to himself. Kokichi placed his hands behind his head and grinned, “That’s for you to figure out Saihara-chan!”

Kokichi giggled at Shuichi’s nervous smile. “We should probably hurry unless we want the coyotes to tear you apart! Unless you’re into that kind of thing of course,” He casually said, looking at his nails as if he was bored.

“The _what?_ -” Shuichi muttered, his expression much more nervous then before.

_Toying with Saihara-chan is just soooo fun! He’s easy to read too! He’s just as entertaining as that idiot Momota-chan! Speaking of him, why is he always up so early? I don’t need to hear you running around at six in the morning._

“Oh, you know,” Kokichi offered helpfully, acting casual as if he just told Saihara about the weather. He just frowned. Though, it turned into a fond smile, that turned into quiet snickering.

Kokichi gasped in an overly dramatic way, placing a hand on his chest. “Is Saihara-chan doubting me? After all I’ve done for him?” He turned towards him, a soft smile on his face. “I’m not trying to doubt you, you just- lie a lot-“ 

Ouma took a deep breath before practically _screaming_ , “Saihara-chan is sooo meannnn! Saihara-chan is such a bully, I could just cry!” Shuichi sputtered out something like, “Ouma-kun I’m really sorry!- I didn’t mean to offend you or anything-!”

Though, Ouma couldn’t hear him, seeing as he was currently busy bawling his eyes out at the moment.

“Ouma-kun _please_ st-” Saihara was cut off by a distant, “Shut up Ouma!” That came from no other then Kaito. It was quiet for a few seconds before Saihara started laughing.

_Saihara chan laughing is not cute. It’s just a normal laugh. It’s not at all cute how he tries to cover his mouth, how his laughing slowly gets louder, or the way his eyes look when- **I really shouldn’t be thinking about this.**_

“Ouma kun, who was that?-” Saihara asked, still trying to stop laughing. Kokichi pouted before saying, “Just stinky Momota-chan.”

That just caused Shuichi to laugh more.

After a few seconds of that, he quieted down before saying, “I have some money on me, so I can go stay at a hotel or something,” He muttered, shifting his weight from side to side.

_He looks nervous._

“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow Saihara-chan!” Kokichi chirped, his hands behind his head. “Is it fine if we uh- meet up here tomorrow?..” He asked quietly, messing with the hem of his shirt.

Kokichi shrugged, closing his eyes. “Yeah, sure. I’ll see you tomorrow Saihara-chan! I look forward to it!”

Saihara chuckled, brushing a strand of his hair out of his face. “Is that a lie or are you telling the truth?”

Kokichi felt a soft smile on his face. He didn’t replace it with a mocking grin this time. 

“That’s for you to decide, mister detective.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, dream writes, I draw ✨
> 
> I hope you're enjoying as much as we are!


	4. Chapter 4

Once Shuichi arrived at the plaza, he scanned the crowded area for Ouma. He never really liked places with people bustling about. It was always too loud, too many things to focus on, and just made him want to cover his ears and sit down for a bit.

Thankfully, he spotted Ouma sitting on a bench, looking a bit bored. He assumed that wasn’t a good thing. He hasn’t known Kokichi for very long, but he seemed like a person that would be up to no good if they had nothing better to do.

Shuichi walked over to him, gently tapping his shoulder. Kokichi looked over at him quickly, he wondered if he would get whiplash. “Heya Saihara chan! Took you long enough, I was waiting here for years!” Ouma dramatically complained, drawing others attention to them.

Saihara nervously laughed, assuming part of it was true. He did sleep in a bit, not having to deal with someone waking him up and tell him he has things he needs to do. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take so long.”

Ouma waved his hand, dismissing the topic. “Uh huh. So, Saihara chan!” He chirped, suddenly standing up. “I have a super fun and amazing cool idea! So we should toootally do it!” He exclaimed, rocking back and fourth on his heels.

“Soo! I was thinking maybe you should buy me a bunch of things, then I can murder you and take your stuff!” Kokichi smiled innocently, keenly stepping forward.

“But that’s a lie, isn’t it?” Shuichi deadpanned, crossing his arms and staring back at him. Ouma’s face was blank for a second, before it turned back into his usual smug grin. “Maybe! You’re catching on quick, Saihara chan!”

Shuichi chuckled, fidgeting with a strand of his hair. “Is that a good thing?” He asked, playfully tilting his head. Kokichi pouted in response, his eyes looking glossy. “No it’s not! It’s horrible! If Saihara chan keeps trying to figure me out I’ll have to kill him!”

Saihara nervously smiled, adverting his eyes as per usual. “I’m hoping that’s a lie too,” he murmured. Kokichi laughed, wearing a familiar mischievous grin. “Probably!” Was all he said before skipping off, leaving Saihara to catch up with him.

—

While Ouma was aimlessly walking around, (it seemed like he was at least, Saihara noted,) they ended up running into someone else.

_Or, Ouma antagonizing one of his friends. Hopefully one of his friends._

“Hey, tit for brains! Come here!” Kokichi yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. Multiple people turned to look at them, a few covering their mouths in shock. Shuichi couldn’t do much other then look down and hope they would stop.

A girl (who looked to be about their age,) walked up to them, a scowl on her face. “What the hell do you want Kokichi?” She asked, a hand on her hip. Ouma grinned and bought a finger to his lips before replying, “Well, I just wanted to give you the honor of seeing me!

Shuichi excepted a very, _very_ bad reaction to that statement, but she just laughed and gently shoved Kokichi. "C'mon, the gorgeous Miu Iruma knows that’s a lie!” She exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest.

_Iruma_ stared at Saihara, looking him up and down. “Who’s the twink?” She asked, turning to Ouma. The other boy scoffed, scowling at her. “Wow, already giving my iconic nickname to some rando? Im truly and deeply offended!” He replied dramatically, tears brimming his eyes.

“But that was just a lie. Even a cum dumpster like you could understand!” He exclaimed, a sly grin on his face. Miu flushed, shrinking away. “C-cum dumpster?” She murmured.

_Ouma is weird. His friends are too. Is this how most people act? I really hope not._

“But! This is my new slave, Saihara chan! Say hi Saihara chan!” He said in a soothing voice, as if he was talking to a kid. Which, Saihara did not appreciate. His parents did that enough.

_He still muttered a quiet hi anyways._

“Aaanyways!! Are you just eating all alone in a cafe? How sad! I think you should totally pay for us and buy us some food!” Kokichi exclaimed, smiling innocently. “Hell no! If you want food buy some yourself!” She yelled, a scowl on her face.

“Plus, I have more important things to do than-” She was cut off by another girl, (how many people did Ouma know??) gently tapping Miu’s shoulder. “Is everything alright? I heard you yelling,” She commented, looking at the two boys.

Iruma flushed, looking a bit nervous. “Everything’s fine!” She murmured, fidgeting with a strand of her hair. Kokichi’s grinned, staring at her. Miu stared back, slightly glaring.

“Oooo! Miu’s on a-!” “Shut up! You- little twink!” She quickly yelled over him, stammering for an answer. Ouma laughed, slightly leaning against Saihara for support.

“You always talk shit about how no one’s worthy of dating you a-” “SHUT UP!” She practically screamed, her face a brilliant red. People kept turning to see what the commotion was, which kept making Saihara nervously shift in place.

The girl behind Iruma (which he still didn’t know,) spoke up, a slightly nervous smile on her face. “So, I’m assuming you know these boys Iruma?” She asked, practically glowing.

“W-well, I know the purple little sh- gremlin, that’s Kokichi,” she murmured, twirling her hair. “And this is Saihara chan!” He chirped, showing off the other boy like a trophy. “He’s like, totally deaf, so that’s why he’s so quiet!”

“No I’m not,” He deadpanned, slightly sighing. Kokichi just giggled, gently nudging him forward. “Well it’s nice to meet you Saihara kun! I’m Akamatsu!” She smiled, trying to distract Miu and Ouma from fighting.

“It’s nice to meet you too Akamatsu san,” He murmured, looking to the side. She just smiled, not seeming to mind the lack of eye contact. “So!” She exclaimed, clapping her hands together, causing Kokichi and Iruma to temporarily stop glaring at each other.

“Since we’re all here, why don’t we do something together?” She asked. Ouma smiled innocently, “Yeah, we should! Riiight I-ru-ma channn?” He teased, his smile turning into a mischievous grin. 

Miu just muttered something along the lines of, “Whatever,” and crossed her arms. “Since Iruma-san and I just got here, we can all eat in the cafe. Sound good?”

No one objected, so she smiled and went into the cafe. Once they were crammed into a small booth, the whole situation finally hit Shuichi.

This whole thing wouldn’t be a problem if he knew how to talk to people without getting nervous. If that was the case, everything would be fine. Perfect even. Except, he didn’t. He had mostly been isolated most of his life, and kept to himself.

_So this was a major problem._

Before Saihara could have a meltdown in public where a bunch of people could see him, Kokichi spoke up. “Sooo, are you guys friends or?~” He asked, a sly grin on his face.

“Yeah, we’re friends! We met a few weeks ago when she spilled her drink on me,” She replied, quietly giggling. “It’s probably because she was-” Ouma was cut off by Miu again, “No I wasn’t you twink! Shut up!”

Kaede gently pat Iruma’s shoulder, effectively shutting her up. “So, do you guys have any funny stories?” She asked, tilting her head. “I’m _so_ glad you asked Akamatsu-chan!” Ouma exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table in excitement, causing Saihara to flinch.

“Well, I remember once my organization and I were throwing some water balloons at some random kingdom nearby, and we ended up getting chased around for a bit! It was suuuuper fun!” He chirped, smiling.

Shuichi froze up for a second, staring wide eyed at Kokichi. He remembered overhearing that conversation when he was around seven, talking about kids in clown masks and checkered scarves.

“Why did you even-” Saihara murmured, staring at him. “Oh, you know,” Ouma very helpfully replied, a playful grin on his face. Shuichi quietly laughed, covering his mouth. “I’ll never get how you’re able to do things like that, I can’t even maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds.”

“All it takes is some practice and a fake personality!” He sing songed, gently nudging him. Shuichi continued laughing, still trying to muffle it. Miu and Kaede eventually joined in, everyone smiling.

_Maybe he could stay a little longer. He still has a lot he wants to know about everyone else._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry I (JJ) currently can't draw anything for this chapter jfsl; but i hope you enjoy dream's writing anyway!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if a while ago I bumped the fic back to the top! I thought dream wrote chapter 4 so i posted it on here too, but it was a separate fic entirely, so then i deleted the update but it seems this fic got bumped to the recents so ah i'm sorry if you saw that lmao
> 
> here's the actual fic, they worked hard on making it a lil longer so enjoy!

As fun as talking to people was, it was very exhausting. Once they all went their separate ways, Saihara felt fatigue settle in. Though, he was pretty happy about the fact that he didn’t make a complete fool of himself, so that was good.

“Saihara chan looks like someone just pissed in his food,” He pointed out, grinning at him. Shuichi was quiet for a moment before replying, “I’m just a bit tired I guess,” He had gotten used to Kokichi’s antics after a few days, quietly laughing when he said that.

“Ahh, that’s to be expected with you! Saihara chan looks like the kind of person that would die if he had to talk to strangers for a whole day!” He happily chirped, smiling at Shuichi as if he just complimented him. “I can’t say you’re wrong,” He murmured, covering his mouth as a light blush spread across his face. Kokichi snickered, grinning up at the other boy.

“Did you know I’m never wrong? I can see the future so it’s impossible!” He said, lifting his finger to his mouth. Shuichi decided to amuse him, a soft smile on his lips. “Is that so?” He asked, slightly tilting his head. Ouma’s grin grew as he threw his hands behind his head. “Yep!”

“So, since you can see the future, what are we going to do today?” Saihara asked, smiling at him. Kokichi brought his hand to his chin, something he caught Saihara doing a few times. Ouma hummed for a moment before grinning. “We’re gonna find a bunch of cats!”

Before Shuichi could say anything, Ouma continued talking, “We could like, start an army to overthrow the kingdom!” He exclaimed, a mischievous expression on his face. “Why would you even do that?-” He asked, hoping his voice sounded confused and not nervous.

“Because they’re total ass hats, I’m surprised no one noticed yet,” He replied, his voice monotone. “But I guess not everyone can be as smart as me!” He bounced back almost immediately, a bright smile on his face again. 

Shuichi stared at him for a moment. He then remembered he never told him that he was the queen’s son. He realized now probably wouldn’t be a very good time to tell him about it. He slightly laughed, averting his eyes. “I guess so,” He murmured, not exactly sure how to respond without coming off as rude.

“Told you!” He suddenly exclaimed, grabbing Saihara by his shoulders and turning him to face towards a small group of cats. “Did you know there would be cats here?” He asked, glancing at the other boy. “Maybe! Or I can actually see the future!” He chirped, letting go of him.

Saihara chuckled, a soft smile on his face. He carefully approached a cat, letting it sniff his finger tips. Ouma leaned forward, pulling out a napkin that had some leftover food from earlier. “That’s why you kept it?” Saihara asked, turning towards him. “Maybe. I could just be having the cats poison it.”

“How does that work?” He asked, absentmindedly petting one of the cats. “Well, because these cats are poisonous, if you eat food that was contaminated by them you’ll die!” He replied, grinning at him. Shuichi hummed, trying not to smile.

“Does Saihara chan think I’m lying?” He said, dramatically placing a hand on his heart. “Truly, I’m wounded!” Shuichi burst into muffled giggles, his hand covering his mouth. “Hey! Stop laughing!” He complained, slightly pouting. 

“Sorry, sorry!” His voice was muffled, though he was clearly amused. Kokichi quietly giggled, a grin on his face. He reached out to pet one of the cats, letting it nuzzle against his hand. “Do you like cats?” Kokichi asked, glancing at the taller boy.

Shuichi hummed for a moment, a content smile on his face. “Yeah, I’ve always wanted one,” He commented, continuing to pet one of them. “Why didn’t you just get one then? There’s ton of them here!” He chirped, grinning at him. That was until one of the smaller ones jumped onto his back, causing him to wince.

Saihara was going to ask if he was alright, but he started giggling and letting the kitten crawl onto his head. Shuichi started laughing with him, watching the kitten pawing at the strands of his hair that stuck out. (He still didn’t know how that worked exactly, he reminded himself to ask him at some point.)

Kokichi picked the kitten up, giving it to Saihara. “Here, hold them!” He exclaimed, letting the kitten sniff his face. “Okay okay,” He chuckled, gently holding the kitten. “Do you have names for them?” Shuichi asked, looking at the other boy. Kokichi shook his head, petting the cat in the other boy’s arms.

“Do you wanna name him?” He asked, tilting his head. “Can I?” Saihara replied, obviously excited. “I guess. You’re lucky, as a supreme leader I don’t usually make exceptions!” Kokichi chirped, going from kind to haughty in less then a second. 

“Mm, what about Oliver?” He asked, turning towards him. Kokichi grinned, nodding. “Nishishi, sure!” Oliver purred, rubbing his cheek against Saihara’s face. “He’s doing that to mark his scent,” Kokichi pointed out, petting the cat’s head. “Really? Why?” Saihara asked, tilting his head.

“They do that so other cats know that you’re their person!” He pointed out, quietly giggling. “That’s why they do it? I thought they did because they liked us,” He muttered, chuckling. “Nope! They do it so other cats won’t get all buddy buddy with you.”

“My parents never let me have any pets, they said I wouldn’t take good care of it and someone else would have to,” He explained, tapping his finger against his cheek. “Who else would take care of it?” He asked, his face completely blank. “Just-” Saihara paused. He remembered what Ouma bad said earlier about the kingdom, and bit the inside of his cheek.

“Just some other family members,” He lied, looking away from him. Kokichi was quiet for a moment, staring at him. His face was completely blank, his eyes scanning over Saihara’s face. “So Saihara chan lives with a lot of his family?” He asked, a playful grin on his face. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Can I come over? I’d love to definitely not pull any pranks on anyone! That’s not a lie, I promise!” He smiled innocently at Saihara, looking up at him and batting his eyes. “I don’t know, we live pretty far away,” He murmured, letting the kitten go. “Really? What’re you doing here then?” He asked, tilting his head. 

“I got lost,” He stated, looking at him. “Really? You must’ve been wondering for a while, huh?” Kokichi stared at his nails, presumably bored. “Yeah, I was,” He started fidgeting, knowing Ouma could probably tell he was lying. He’d have to tell him eventually, but he was worried that they would get in a fight and wouldn’t be friends anymore, and Saihara would never see him again.

After a few moments, Kokichi grinned and abruptly speaking up. “Well! Why don’t we play a game, Saihara chan?” He asked, staring at him. Shuichi was still cautious, not wanting to let anything slip and be found out. “What kind of game?” He murmured, standing up as well. “What about… Tag!” He chirped, his eyes sparkling. “Wouldn’t it be boring with just two people?" 

Kokichi pouted, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "Is Saihara chan suggesting I’m boring?!” He exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at Saihara. “I’m not!” He stated, taking a step back. “How mean! I’ve been nothing but nice to Saihara chan and this is how he treats me!” Tears were flowing out of eyes, hiccuping every now and then. 

“Ouma kun, please don’t cry!” He pleaded, worry all over his face. Ouma promptly ignored him, continuing to wail on about how Saihara was such a bully. “You’re so mean! Saihara chan’s so mean to me!” He exclaimed, gently hitting the others arm. Shuichi gently grabbed his hand, causing his tears to practically evaporate.

“Ouma kun, please calm down,” He murmured, trying to maintain eye contact. Kokichi stared at him for a few moments, a light blush dusted across his face. “Fine, Stupidhara,” He pouted, flicking Saihara’s forehead. “Hey!” Shuichi rubbed his forehead, trying to suppress his smile. Kokichi just giggled, poking his arm.

—

_“He’s been missing for a few days. Where could he possibly be?” Asuka frowned, turning to her husband. “I don’t **know**. I suggested letting everyone know, it’d help us find him quicker,” Hitoshi sighed, rubbing his temple. She rolled her eyes and continued to braid her hair. “That insolent child. When he gets back we’ll need to have someone with him at all times.” She glared at her husband, her hands trembling from barely masked anger. “This is all your fault. If you never-”_

_He glared back, raising his hand. She reluctantly quieted down, continuing to scowl at him. Just then, a girl with long blue hair entered. The two straightened up, Asuka let her hands fall to her lap. “Very sorry to,” She paused, gasping for breath. It seemed she had ran here, sweat was beaded on her forehead and she looked tired. “To, interrupt you too, I don’t know why they sent **me,** I’m simply too plain to-”_

_“State your business,” Asuka nonchalantly said, her voice monotone. She made sure to have a serene expression on her face, masking her irritation from earl_ _ier. “Eep! Sorry!” The girl flinched, smoothing her long dress before clearing her throat. “Um- someone says that they may have seen the prince entering the forest a few days ago. Th-they were taken in for uh, further questioning. I’m afraid that’s all I know.”_

_“I see, thank you for this information–” Asuka paused, her eyes scanning over the nervous girl’s face. “What is your name?” She yelped, a light blush spreading across her face. “M-My name?” She was quiet for a moment before saying, “Oh! Um, Shirogane. My name is Shirogane,” The girl, Shirogane, bowed. Asuka stared at her for a moment before waving her hand, dismissing her. She scrambled out, continuing to smooth out her skirt._

_Once she was out, she sighed, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “So, that Saihara kid is missing, huh?” She felt herself smile, quietly giggling under her breath._

**_“What an interesting turn of events.”_ **

**Author's Note:**

> me and dream talk abt this au a lot (and they give updates on the next chapter's progress and stuff) so if you wanna see you can visit 'ahwait-no-yes.tumblr.com' and you can search '#dream anon'
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!


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